Top Teachers: Chris Tickle

In Chris Tickle’s class at The Steward School, students can never be sure who might show up to teach a lesson.

One day it might be “Augustus Porcularis,” an ancient Roman pig farmer who teaches Roman numerals.

On another day a giant bee might visit to teach about the verb “to be.” Or “Gramma Grammar,” a prim and proper British matron, might drop in for a chat about the beauty of the English language.

“It is not at all unusual,” wrote an admiring parent, “for Mr. Tickle to put on a housecoat and wig or a head-to-toe Cat-in-the-Hat regalia at a moment’s notice. . . And who else would show up at school dressed in full knight gear as ‘Sir Cumference’ to teach a brand new geometry theory to 9-year-olds?”

The theatricality comes naturally to Tickle, whose wife once bought him a print featuring the quote, “Good teaching is one-quarter preparation and three-quarters theatre.”

A theatre major in college, he had always loved school and learning, but initially passed up education studies to pursue other fields.

“After working in the ‘real world’ for a number of years,” Tickle said, “I realized that I really missed being in a learning environment . . . [and] decided to follow my heart where it had always been.”

But don’t for a moment assume that Tickle’s playful, out-of-the-box teaching methods mean he is a soft touch, or that his classroom is all about play. Steward parents will attest to his ability to deliver “a loving dose of tough love when necessary.”

And Tickle will tell you that one of his most rewarding moments was getting a note from a former middle school student whose classmates – described by Tickle as “low-motivation” – had been given a dose of that tough love.

“I felt I needed to let [those students] know that once they left my school and headed to high school, they would be in for a rude awakening,” Tickle recalled. A year later, one student wrote to thank him for being so hard on him. “Using my own words, he told me that once he got to high school, he did feel like he had been hit by a truck, but he had learned from it and was actually doing okay.”

Whether he is coaching his Destination Imagination teams (which have made it as far as the Top 10 in the Global Finals), leading his fourth-graders through writing exercises, or motivating kindergartners-through-fifth-graders in reading achievement assemblies, Tickle said he is constantly striving to help students discover the joy of learning and the desire to continue to learn throughout their lives.

He also strives to get to know them as individuals, according to parents, and takes a sincere interest in every student.

Just before school begins each year, Tickle sends out letters inviting each student to write a letter about himself or herself. By year’s end, he knows them all well enough to create his annual version of Dr. Seuss’ Oh The Places You’ll Go – “with a full stanza,” said a parent, “tailored for each student in the class.

“What could be more touching to any parent?”

Tickle can cite many touching moments of his own, but especially enjoys watching his students experience the “ah-ha” moment when they finally grasp a concept. Not long ago, one student was dejected over hitting a roadblock with long division. Despite weeks of approaching it from all different angles, and “copious amounts of encouragement,” he had not caught on. But then “his face suddenly lit up with a huge smile,” said Tickle, and he announced, “I finally got it!”

The thrill of seeing that face has yet to wear off, said Tickle, who notes that he thinks about his students (“current, past, and sometimes even future ones”) day and night. “I don’t stop being a teacher when the final bell rings.”

He also never stops thinking about what he can do to become better at his profession.

“As far as I’m concerned, being a teacher is one of those things that is just part of who you are. I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.”

The fire broke out in the third floor of the Chase Gayton apartment complex in the 10 block of Chase Gayton Drive, near the intersection of Gaskins Road and Quioccasin Road, at about 1:20 p.m. Sept. 24. > Read more.

Crime stoppers needs your help to solve a double homicide that occurred in the City of Richmond in June of this year.

On Wednesday, June 7, at approximately 9:53 p.m., Richmond police officers responded to several calls for random gunfire in the 3600 block of Decatur Street. They arrived and found the victims, two males, Christian Singleton and Ketron Wells. The victims were outside on the ground lying near each other. Both victims had received fatal gunshot wounds. > Read more.

The Richmond Astronomical Society and Libbie Mill Library will host a presentation about the night sky and its astronomy Sept. 28, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Attendees will enjoy amazing views of the moon and other celestial objects with high-quality telescopes operated by members of the Richmond Astronomical Society. Guests will be able to see craters and seas on the surface of the moon with clarity and detail. > Read more.

The number of homes sold in Henrico County in August rose 10 percent when compared to the same month last year, according to data compiled by Long & Foster. The average sale price of those homes – $239,975 – also rose, by about 4 percent when compared to the same average sale price in August 2016.

Henrico's jump in the number of homes sold was the largest in the Richmond region, though average sales prices in Chesterfield (8 percent increase) and Richmond (12 percent) jumped by higher amounts when compared to last August sales. > Read more.

Graham M. Bundy, a thoracic surgeon with HCA Virginia Physicians’ Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, is the first such surgeon in Central Virginia to perform 100 minimally-invasive Da Vinci robot-assisted lobectomies (a surgical procedure to remove a lobe of the lung). The procedure is used to treat multiple types of conditions but is most often used to treat lung cancer. > Read more.

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The second annual Trey’s Avengers Cornhole Tournament will take place at 1 p.m. at Hurley’s Tavern in Innsbrook. The tournament is a 32-team double-elimination cornhole tournament with all entry fees going to juvenile diabetes research. Two players per team. Entry fee is $50 per team. Each player will receive a drink ticket good for a beer, rail drink or soda. Prizes will be given to first and second place winners. Spectators are welcome and a special kid’s cornhole area will be set up. Trey's Avengers is a family fundraising team for the JDRF One Walk in Richmond, Va. To register or donate, visit http://www.TreysAvengers.com.
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